MEMORISE:
Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. Jeremiah 6:16
READ: Isaiah 30:18-21
18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.
20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:
21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
MESSAGE
At a point in everyone’s life, we all come face to face with crossroads. Many people don’t know what to do when they find themselves at crossroads, and so they take steps in the wrong direction, leading to setbacks or destruction. This will not be your portion in Jesus’ Name. However, for this not to be your lot, you need to know what to do when at crossroads in life. The Holy Spirit offers an excellent solution in today’s memory verse. From His recommendations, the first thing you need to do is to pause and consider the options before you. He said “Stand ye in the ways, and see.” Some people are always in a hurry to make decisions at such moments, but this is not a wise thing to do. Do not allow your emotions or anyone rush you into making a decision when at crossroads. You need to learn to wait for the Lord, especially at such moments. Wait to hear expressly from God for Him to give you a sign on the right thing to do. In today’s Bible reading, when Paul and his company faced a dilemma on where next to take the message of the gospel, they waited until God gave them a sign through a night vision. Mind you, they were obeying the commandments of the Lord “to go ye into the world and preach the gospel”, and yet the Holy Spirit forbade them from preaching in two places. The Holy Spirit who forbade them from preaching in two places. The Holy Spirit who forbade them from preaching in those places did not expressly tell them where they would preach next. They had to wait for the Lord until He showed them the path to toe. How marvelous are the ways of our God! No wonder Isaiah 30:18b from our Bible reading says:
“ for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.”
After pausing to see, the next step the holy Spirit recommends in Jeremiah 6:16 is to ask for the old paths. There is s Nigerian adage that says “He who asks questions will not miss his way”. You need to ask questions on how the issue you are facing was handled by those who have gone ahead of you and what their results were. It is unfortunate that today’s men and women tend not to see anything good in the old paths, and yet these sometimes hold the key to their future. However, take careful note of the words used by the Holy Spirit in Jeremiah 6:16. He did not say you should ask for the old paths and walk in them; He said you should ask for the old paths and walk in them; He said you should ask for the old paths and make further enquiries on where the good way is. The old paths are not necessarily the good way, but they can point you in the direction of where the good way is. Don’t be fixated on doing things the way they have always been done, except that is seen to be the good way. You need to have a relationship with the One who declared Himself to be The way, in order for you to discover where the good way is in all situations (John 14:6). When you are His sheep, you will hear His voice behind you, telling you which way to go. When you yield to His voice, you will surely find rest for your soul.
ACTION POINT:
Apply the principles of Jeremiah 6:16 to any crossroads you are facing today.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Timothy 1-6
Jeremiah 8:4-17
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 3: TRUST AND OBEY.
1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
o Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.
3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.
4. But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.
5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.
RECENT COMMENTS
Joesphine Ehigie
TJ